Search form

The Institute for African Studies (IAS)

IAS is a research body incorporated in and
funded by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
The Institute has been conducting
research on historical, socio-economic,
ethno-cultural and political problems
of all independent African nations.

Field work

Field work has always been one
of the brightest components of the
activities of the Institute for African Studies.
In the 1960s these expeditions became
a regular activity of the Institute.
The key feature of all field research
in African countries has been their integrated nature.

Conference

Conferences are a major part of
activities of the Institute. They brighten
up the routine, provide new impetus
to the research, open up new fields
of study and expand the boundaries
of research activities.

Publishing activities

The Institute for African Studies carries
out its publishing activities by publishing books,
pamphlets and articles relevant to the problems
of Africa, the Arab East, Russia and the CIS.
There is the Editing and Publishing Department
and a Printing shop at the Institute.

Doctoral Studies Department

The Institute’s Doctoral Studies Department
is an independent structural unit, which deals
with the training of scholarly experts in the problems
of Africa. For the last half century the Institute had
more than 462 Ph.D. students and 32 Doctor of Science
fellows who successfully defended their thesis.
Among them 139 persons were foreign citizens.

The Council of Young Researchers

The Council of Young Researchers
was recreated in 2009 with the object
of uniting the young researchers,
expressing their interests, saving
scientific potential and overcoming
negative tendency of the generation gap.

Library

The library of the Institute for African Studies is the only
comprehensive collection of scientific and reference literature
on Africa in the Russian Federation and CIS countries.
The library makes a branch of the RAS Institute of Scientific Information
on Social Sciences (ISISS). Its stock numbers about 120 thousand
of library items: books, pamphlets, dissertations and periodicals in Russian
and foreign languages covering the problems of Africa and the Arab East.

V-1. Africa in a Polycentric World

The role and influence of Africa in contemporary world have increased. Africa becomes a full-fledged actor in global politics. African countries are involved in decision-making on international issues. The independence of African foreign policy is growing, its priorities are restructuring. This process resulted in profound geopolitical and geo-economic shifts. The leadership of the Western countries tends to lessen. African foreign policy vector shifts to the East. In the 2000s, emerging countries made a breakthrough on the continent. The new partnership permitted African countries to reduce reticence on Euro-Atlantic vector, to empower their participation in world economic ties and global politics. BRICS, other emerging countries become the locomotive of Africa development. Cooperation with them fosters economic growth, creates the possibilities to realize the national projects in infrastructure, healthcare, education, science. China is the most active in Africa. Contrary to predictions about the decline of cooperation with Africa in terms of a slowdown in China, Beijing pledges itself new commitments. The new strategy of the Chinese-African partnership foresees the growth of financial aid and investment; focus on African infrastructure, new technologies, human resources development. In conditions of fierce competition with traditional and new players Russia managed to keep the potential for cooperation with Africa. The aggravation of Russia relations with the Euro-Atlantic community increases the importance of Russia-Africa cooperation. The urgent task is building equitable and long-term partnership with Africa. Challenges and threats are the obstacles to Africa development. In recent years, the number of African conflicts decreased, but they became more prolonged and bloody. The conflicts in DRC, Darfur and southern Sudan received the regional dimension and are difficult to resolve. A terrorist threat has acquired truly planetary scale. Regionalization of modern terrorism has found a vivid manifestation in the cross-border phenomenon – the Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant – ISIS, later self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS; banned in Russia). Terrorist groups in African countries adjoin to IS. Only in 2016 Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Somali, Uganda have become the targets of terrorist attacks. An important issue concerning African security is migration. Mass influx of refugees to the EU has demonstrated the crisis of Western migration policy. Conflicts and terrorist threats cause displacement of large masses of the population. At the same time refugees and migrants are the breeding ground for recruitment members to rebel groups and terrorist organizations. The UN, whose peacekeeping missions involved in African conflicts resolving, contributes to security problems decision. Africa’s development and security occupy an important place in the African Union’s policy. The panel will focus on the problems: Africa’ role and influence in world politics and economics; new partners of Africa; the influence of BRICS and other ‘emerging’ countries on economic and political renewal in Africa; challenges and threats to Africa: conflicts, terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, international migration, climate changes; changes in Western countries’ African policies; Russian-African relations, the African Union and regional organizations; Africa and the UN.